Endorsing machine



4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed May 20, 1953 HE xv iNVENTOR I M M,

Mai u ATTORNEY June 15, 1937. w. F. MULLER ENDORSING MACHINE 4Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed May 20, 1933 w i Q i i w m a N o A. mw o 0 N \N w 3% .fiw Q k mx Q .X

June 15, 1937. w MULLER 2,084,044

ENDORS ING MACHINE Original Filed May 20, 1933 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR Ila; 1m 3/76 144 ATTORNEY June 15, 1937. w. F. MULLER 2,084,044

ENDORSING MACHINE Original Filed May 20, 1933 4 Shets-Sheet- 4 INVENTOR M 5k m. BY fl. 0 -4.

ATTORNEY Patented June 15, 1937 UNETED STATES .i ATENT OFFIE ENDORSING MACHINE Application May 20, 1933, Serial No. 672,058 Renewed November 11, 1936 '7 Claims.

O ly with positioning the check or other paper for endorsement, and such means may be a manually thrown switch element or a light-sensitive switch element placed in action by the operator through moving the paper into register with said light-sensitive element.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel type of switch mechanism as applied to machines of the said character.

A'further object of the invention is to provide 20 a ribbon type of ink carrier which is given intermittent movements across the face of the type carrier or printing die and which is provided with improved ribbon reversing means.

Further objects will hereinafter appear. 25 The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a front elevation of an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. 30 Fig. 2 is a wiring diagram relating to the structure shown in Figs. 1 to 14 inclusive.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary transverse section on the line 3-3, Fi 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged view, partly broken away, of the machine in side elevation, showing the ribbon-actuating and reversing means in one position.

Fig. 5 is a View similar to Fig. 4 showing the 40 ribbon-reversing means in position reverse to Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a detailed view in elevation, showing certain elements of the ribbon-reversing means. Fig. '7 is a vertical section on the line 'll,

45 Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary elevation of certain elements of the switch mechanism taken on the line 88, Fig. 9.

Fig. 9 is a vertical section on the line !l9, Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a top plan View of the adjustable type carrier.

Fig. 11 is a bottom plan View of the adjustable 55 type carrier.

Fig. 12 is a view in front elevation of the type carrier.

Fig. 13 is a transverse section on the line l3-l3, Fig. 12.

Fig. 14 is a longitudinal section on the line 14-44, Fig. 12.

Fig. 15 is a view in elevation, partly broken away, showing the machine provided with lightsensitive switch energizing means.

Fig. 16 is a fragmentary rear elevation show- 10 ing the lower portion of the machine illustrated in Fig. 15.

Fig. 17 is a fragmentary rear elevation of the middle portion of the machine illustrated in Fig. 15. 15

Fig. 18 is a wiring diagram of the machine illustrated in Figs. 15 to 18 inclusive.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the machine comprises a base I from which rises a standard 2 to which is secured the top casing 3, the base member supporting the bottom casing 4. The top casing supports the printing carriage and contains mechanism for actuating said carriage and the bottom casing supports the platen and the switch mechanism.

Within the casing 3 is a suitable supporting member, the top of which is indicated by the dotted lines 5, in the center of which is placed the field housing 6 of a solenoid having a rodlike core 1, the upper end of which projects through a suitable aperture formed in the said support.

The top of solenoid core rod 1 carried a plate 8 between which and the top of the said support are disposed springs 9 for normally maintaining the core rod in upper position and as illustrated in Fig. 2, the core rod 1 is secured to the printing carriage.

The printing carriage 4:0

The printing carriage comprises a block I!) cut away centrally thereof to receive a printing frame H, the printing frame at its top having laterally projecting ears Ha:- (Fig. 11) which are received in laterally extending channels 10a: in block IB at the top thereof, so that the printing frame I! may be readily removed by swinging away a spring clip I2 pivoted to the frame In as indicated in Fig. 2.

Secured to One side face of block is a ribbon 50 carrying frame l3, and to the opposite face of the block is secured a ribbon carrying frame 14. Ribbon carrying frame I 3 is adapted to receive a ribbon spool l6 which may be received on a pin (not shown) at one end of the spool carrying Cir frame and by the key stud of an endwise movable sleeve at the opposite end of the spool carrying frame in such manner that the rotation of the sleeve will rotate the spool.

The spool holding mechanism thus far described is common in the art and is not shown in detail. The means for rotating sleeve [6 is asfollows:

Fixed upon the sleeve is a ratchet wheel l1 adapted to be engaged by a pawl I8 pivoted at 19 upon a pawl carrying lever 20, which, in turn, is pivoted at El upon the frame I3. The pawl is normally held in engagement with the teeth of ratchetwheel H by a spring 22. One 'end of pawl lever 23 has connected thereto a link 23, which is pivoted at 24 to a fixed carrying arm 25. When the printing carriage is moved downwardly to the position shown in-Fig. 5, the link prevents corresponding downward movement of that end of lever 23 to which it is connected and hence the pawl slips over 'the teeth of ratchet ll. When the printing stroke is com- .pleted and the printing carriage rises under the influence or springs 9, link 23 being fixed at the point 2.4, will cause pawl 18 to rotate the ratchet wheel and hence the spool a. slight distance, as

1 will be understood without further explanation.

The spool holding means of spool carrying frame I4 is like that of spool carrying frame l3 and includes an endwise movable sleeve 25 (Fig.3) having a key-like end (indicated in dotted lines The sleeve carries a ratchet wheel like having one end thereof connected to alink29 all of the same construction as the pawl lever and link described" with reference to spoolcarrying frame 53. I

j The ribbon reverse 7 Carried by U-shapedbracket 29 secured to block I9 is a shaft 36 on which is fixedly secured a spring 3i (Fig. 3) having its end projected through an aperture formed inan arm 32a: projecting downwardly from a bracket 32 mounted on shaft 35. The construction is such that a movement imparted to arm 32:: causes rotation of shaft 32* through the intermediary of sprin 3!. Exactly the same elements are provided for the opposite face of the block l0 so that one of the arms 32x lies opposite each of the ribbon carrying spools. V

With reference to' Fig. 3, the. left-hand shaft 36 carries at one end a pawl release disk '33 which carries a pin 34 in line with. pawl l8.

The right-hand shaft 36 carries at oneend a' similar pawl release disk I8 having pin in line with the pawl whi ch actuates the ratchet wheel of latter having at its lower end a roller 38 adapted to engage a reversely inclined detent cam '39 normally held upwardly by a plunger 40 carried within the socket of afixed cylinder 4|, the plunger being connected by a spring 42, Fig. '7.

The upper end of the detent arm is slotted to receive a stud 43 carried by link 35.

The parts. being in the position of Fig. 4, it will be noted that the left-hand pawl 18 is disengaged from its ratchet wheel and the right-hand arms 32a: lies in register-with the ribbon being wound upon the right-hand spool. As the righthand arm 32:13 is moved away from the axis of its spool by the winding in of ribbon thereon, link 35 will be moved to the right'and will slowly retract pin 34 from pawl I8 causing the pawl to slowly move toward the left-hand ratchet wheel. At the same time, pin 43 carried by link 35 will act upon detent 31 to cause the latterto ride to-. ward the periphery of the angular detent member 39, thus depressing post 40 against the pressure of spring 42. This action will continue until the-parts reach the position shown in Fig.6 wherein the roller of detent member 31 is on the dead center of spring detent member 39 and as the action continues roller 38 is moved. past the dead center, thespring 42 acts upon plunger. 49 to give a quick upward movement to member 39 thus throwing the parts to the position shown in Fig. and causing pawl IE to engage the ratchet wheel I1, and at the same time, the right hand shaft 39 will be so turned to cause its pawl re lease disk 33, with pin 34, to disengage the pawl from the ratchet wheel of the. right-hand spool.

Also, as the ribbon is wound upon-the left-hand spool, a reverse movement of link 35 occurs and when a desired amount of ribbon has been wound upon thesaid left-handspool, the pawl for its ratchet wheel will be released and the pawl for the opposite ratchet wheel thrown into active position. a

The printing frame andnumber change mechanism The printing frame is shown more in detail in. Figs. 10 to 13 inclusive. It comprises a U-shaped' primary frame member having apertures at its of the month, and wheel 41 giving the indication of the year and two wheels 48' and 49 for days ,of the month. Each wheel may have ratchet teeth as shown in 'Fig. 13 to be engaged by a pawl 58 pressed by spring 5|, the pawls being carried by shaft 52 and the springs being held by shaft 53. The springs may be carried by a single 7 spring plate 5| 3:. All of the date wheels 46 to 49 inclusive are supported upon a shaft 54. The V shaft may have keyed to it date Wheel 49 and the shaft may be rotated by a thumb wheel 55. Date wheel 48 may be connected by a sleeve 56 with a thumb wheel 51 and upon sleeve 56 may be mounted a sleeve 58 carrying date wheel .46, sleeve 58 having a thumb wheel 59. Inasmuch as year wheel 41 will be rotated annually only, it is frictionally mounted upon shaft 54 and. may be rotated by direct movement, for example, by'a pen or pencil contacting with the wheel through the opening 45, Fig. 11. r

The switch and switchactuating mechanism From the wiring diagram, Fig. 2 and the elevation Fig. 2, it will be noted that current is led through wires 60, 6|, to a junction block 62 from which the current is led through wires 63 to the solenoid field winding 64, the circuit being completed by wires 65 leading to switch contact 66 adapted to engage with switch contact 61 I connected by Wire 68 to junction block 62.

Reference to Figs. 8 and 9 will show that switch contact member 65 is carried by bracket 69 secured within casing 4. Switch member 61 is secured to a bracket 'II! pivotally mounted upon shaft 'H, the bracket having upwardly extending spaced arms l2, l3. Arm I2 is connected to a fixed arm I lby a spring '55 and arm I3 is connected by link '56 with an arm 'I'I having a hub 'I'Izr fixed upon rock shaft 19.

Mounted on rock shaft I8 is a sleeve '59 which projects through an aperture formed in the casing 4. Exterior casing i and fixed to shaft I8 is a shouldered lug 89, the shoulder being adapted to receive the teeth BI (Fig. 2) of a dog 82 carried by one arm 83:6 of a U-shaped lever 83, the latter having laterally extending arms 84 to which are pivotally and adjustably secured hand contact members 85.

In the present embodiment of the invention, the laterally extending arms 84 are not connected directly to the arms Stat of lever 83, but each is connected to a link 86 pivoted at 81 to its appropriate lever arm 83a and pivoted at 88 to a supporting arm 89, in turn, pivotally mounted upon casing 4 by a stud 99. Each hand member 85 is provided with a set screw 9i projecting through a slot 92 in a downwardly extending portion of the appropriate arm 84 so that the hand member may be held in each of a plurality of adjusted positions.

U-shaped lever 83 together with dog 82 and the hand members 85 are normaly held in forward position by suitable spring means, such as the spring 93, indicated in Fig. 2. The dog 82 is normally held in operative position with its tooth engaging the shoulder of member 89 by means of a spring 82x.

Operation of the switch mechanism In the operation of the switch mechanism, the operator will grasp a check or other paper with its back uppermost, will insert it between the printing frame l i and the platen first. In moving the check to position, one or both hands of the operator will approach the hand members 85 and, by engagement with one or more of the hand members, will move the members rearwardly, thus swinging U-shaped lever 83 on shaft 'Iil, thereby causing the dog 82 to impart a partial rotation to shaft 18 which will cause arm 'I'l and link '56 to move bracket III and the contact 6'! toward contact 39. When the points of the contact members are in actual engagement, the dog will reach and be lifted by dog release cam 95 adjustably mounted upon casing i by set screw 96. The time of the release may be varied by moving the dog release toward or from the dog inasmuch as set screw 95 passes through a slot in the dog release enabling such adjustment.

When the switch contacts meet, field 64 of the solenoid will become energized and solenoid core rod 1 will be moved downward against the action of springs 9, and the printing elements will be moved downwardly in contact with the check or other paper, and inasmuch as the contact is instantly broken by the lifting of dog 82, springs 9 will move the printing carriage back to initial position and springs 82a: and 93 will restore the switch operating parts to the position shown in Fig. 2.

In Figs. 15 to 1'7 inclusive, I have illustrated a modification of the invention. In the modification, the solenoid casing 3, switch casing i and the connecting arm 2 are of the same construction as in the preceding figures as is also the case with respect to the printing carriage including the ribbon release and associated elements.

Fig. 15 shows the field of the solenoid at 94,

solenoid core rod I and a fixed plate 53: corresponding to the member 5, Fig. 2, against which springs 9 act upon arm 8 which is connected to the solenoid core rod. These parts are the same as in the preceding figures and the same numerals have been employed.

Arm 8, Fig. 15, is connected to the solenoid core rod 1 through a bracket 9? formed to reciprocate within an aperture formed in the supporting plate 98. Plate 98 carries fixed switch member 99 and movable switch member I99, the latter being pivoted at NH. The switch members are normally in contact. Plate 8, carries a switch breaking member I92 adapted to engage the rearwardly projecting arm of the movable switch member H90 so that when the solenoid core rod is moved downwardly, the switch members 99, I99, will be separated.

Reference to Fig. 18 will show the wiring arrangement. The platen 4m: will be transparent so as to throw the beam from an electric lamp I03 through the platen to a light sensitive cell I94. When the beam is barred from the selenium cell I04, a sensitive relay I95 will operate magnetic switch I and will close the circuit through the solenoid field 6t via wires I87, the switch device 99, I60, and wire I98. When the platen 418:1! is of metal, it may be formed with an opening a for the passage of the light beam as indicated in Fig. 17.

When a check or other sheet is moved upon the platen, the said circuit-closing operation is performed, and as the solenoid core rod moves downwardly it will carry a switch breaking member I92 toward an arm on movable switch member I99 and upon the printing operation, the contacts will be thus separated permitting the paper to be moved by the operator and the beam will then be thrown upon the light sensitive cell to maintain the circuit open until a second sheet is moved to position upon the platen by the operator.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows, it being understood that various modifications may be made in the form and arrangement of the elements illustrated in the drawings, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

1. In endorsing machines for checks and the like, a base member, a platen supported by the base member, manually operable switch mechanism carried by the base member and adapted to close and open a circuit through a uni-directional movement of the operator upon one member of said switch devices, an arm rising from the base member, a casing supported by the arm, an electrical actuating device within the casing, a printing carriage connected to said actuating device and including a ribbon-holding means and means for intermittently advancing the ribbon, said means including a ratchet wheel, a pawl, a pawl lever and a link device carried by the carriage and connected to the pawl lever whereby the ratchet wheel is given a movement upon each operative and return movement of the printing carriage.

2. In machines for endorsing checks and the like a base member, a platen supported by the base member, a casing mounted above the platen, a rod within the casing, an electrical device for imparting endwise movement to said rod, 2. switch for said electrical device, and a printing carriage connected to said rod and normally disposed above the platen, said carriage comprising centrally located means for holding a printing elel0 V ating said throw-out device, thelink being opermerit, a spool carrying element at each end'of the carriage whereby a ribbon held on said spools may be led across theface of the printing elemerit, a ratchet wheel carried by eachspool holding element, means operable by movements of the carriage to rotate said ratchet wheels, said means including a, pawl for each ratchet wheel, a lever carried by the carriage at each end for engagement by a ribbon as it is wound upon a; spool, a throw-out device for the pawl, a link for actuatively connected to said levers, and a springractuated device for imparting a quick movement to the link when one of said levers has reached a predetermined position relatively to a ribbon being wound upon a spool.

3. A device constructed in accordance with claim 2 in which thespring actuate-d device comprises a lever and a spring actuated cam having a dead center, the lever being moved by the link toward the dead center and the cam being thrown upwardly when the lever passes the dead' dead center position causing the spring actuated I cam device to impart a quick movement to the lever in a direction causing the link to act on' said last, named pawl throwout device to engage and move its pawl out of register with the teeth of its ratchet Wheel.

5. A device constructed in accordance with claim 2 in which each pawl throwout' device comprising a pin movable in thearc of a circle and connected to a shaft and arms connecting the shaft, in each case, with said link. r

6. A device for endorsing checks and the like comprising a base member, a casing supported by the base member, a platen carried by the casme, switch devices within the casing including a movable member, a shaft pivotally supporting:

said movable member, a spring holding said shaft in position tomaintain the switch open, an arm carried by the shaft and having a shoulder, a

lever mounted exterior the casing, a pawl pivotally carried by the lever engaging said shoulder, a hand contact carried by the lever, pawl throwout means in the path of the pawl, an arm rising from the base member, a casing carried by the arm, a printing carriage mounted below the casing andelectrical means within the casing,

connected with said switch devices, for moving the printing carriage toward the platen.

'7. An endorsing machine for checks and'the like comprising a platen, a support for the platen;

a casing mounted above the platen and spaced therefrom, a printing carriage intermediate the platen and casing, electrical means within the casing for imparting a downward movement to the printing carriage, an electrical circuit, a switch in said circuit including, a light sensitive member below the platen, the platen being formed to permit the passage of light therethrough, and a light ,beam throwing member supported above the platen and in register therewith.

, WILLIAM F. MULLER. 

